Katie Holmes understands that the show must go on.
The actress stopped by The The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Nov. 27 to discuss her role as Ms. Webb in the Broadway revival Our City. Holmes, 45, revealed some of her pre-performance rituals, including going over all her lines multiple times before performing.
“One time I didn’t, I was in the middle of a scene and I just said the whole sentence except for the last word, and I couldn’t remember it,” Holmes said.
“I made something up, but it didn’t make sense,” the actress continued. “And then I got so red because Jim Parsons, who’s wonderful, is on stage most of the time because he’s the stage manager. And so I say, ‘Oh my God. Jim knows. He’s watching. And Ephraim [Sykes] he knows because I told him and then Richard Thomas. Oh God.’ ”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Katie Holmes at the Broadway premiere of ‘Our Town’ in October 2024.
Arturo Holmes/Getty
Holmes recalled getting upset at the moment and then rushing through the scene.
“[I] came off the stage and Jim hugged me afterwards,” Holmes said. “He said, ‘I’ve never seen someone say their lines so quickly and walk away.’ ”
“And no one cared, but me,” the actress added. “I say, ‘This is Broadway!’ ”
Katie Holmes shines on Broadway in a sleek black look at the premiere Our City
Our Citynow playing at the Barrymore Theater in New York, it has a cast of 28 including Parsons, Thomas, Sykes and Zoey Deutch. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, written by Thornton Wilder, follows the residents of a small town in New Hampshire.
Holmes noted that the script also required her to mimic. “Thornton Wilder wrote this in 1938, and it takes place in 1901, so he wrote that mom, like, I’m making oatmeal,” she said. “But then our director Kenny Leon said, ‘You know, I really want everyone to get to know the characters.’ So eventually I think, ‘I’m getting sick of imitating oatmeal.’ ”
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/our-town-opening-night-101024-d8bdaac023df4c5f88c4ea38b26014f7.jpg)
The Broadway cast of ‘Our Town’ premieres in October 2024.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Holmes said she started a recurring gag on stage, where she pretends to make a new dish every night, including quiches and pancakes.
“But you know who appreciates my cooking is Richard Thomas,” said Holmes. “He says, ‘Can you make a Dutch pancake?’ Do you know what that is?’ And I said: ‘Yes!’ ”
Zoey Deutch calls her ‘special’ Our City Katie Holmes ‘Pure Sunshine’ Costar (Exclusive)
Our City marks a return to Broadway for Holmes, who debuted in a 2008 revival. All My Sonsand later acted in the play in 2012 Dead accounts. Holmes remarked that Our City is also a particularly special production.
“It’s like a dream job,” Holmes said. “And I love this show. It’s been done so many times. … Our director said that this is Our City for our time. And so it’s a bit of a re-imagining, but the script is obviously still the same.”
“We’re having a blast,” added Holmes of the cast. “We all really love each other.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education